Washington —
An Australian court found a Chinese leader guilty of violating the Anti-Foreign Interference Act
An Australian court ruled on Tuesday (December 19) that a Melbourne man who held a senior position in a Chinese community association was guilty of planning foreign interference, the first such conviction under relevant Australian laws introduced in 2018. judgment.
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) said in a statement that Victoria Police accused former Liberal Party member Di Sanh Duong of preparing or planning acts of foreign interference in 2020, and the court found that the charge was established.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported that prosecutors told the court that Yang Yisheng had been in regular contact with Chinese intelligence services and tried to influence then-federal minister Alan Tudge to further the Chinese Communist Party’s agenda. Target.
Yang Yisheng, also known as Sunny Duong, is believed to be the first person to be convicted of planning to carry out foreign interference, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. He was found guilty by a court in Victoria on Tuesday afternoon after several days of proceedings and hearings.
Yang Yisheng is a Chinese born in Vietnam. He is 68 years old and holds important positions in many Chinese organizations in Victoria, including the chairman of the Vietnam-Cambodia Federation of Old Chinese Organizations. Yang Yisheng was accused of violating the Anti-Foreign Interference Law in November 2020. Yang Yisheng is believed to be related to the China Council for the Promotion of Peaceful Reunification, which is controlled by the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee.
In June 2020, during the global COVID-19 pandemic, critical medical equipment and supplies were in short supply. The New York Times previously reported that the Australian Chinese community raised 37,450 Australian dollars (approximately US$26,000) and donated it to the Royal Melbourne Hospital in the name of the local Chinese association led by Yang Yisheng. In front of the media, when Yang Yisheng handed the check to the hospital CEO, Taqi, who was invited to attend the check donation ceremony, stood next to Yang Yisheng.
In response, federal prosecutors claimed that this was far from a goodwill gesture, but that Yang was in frequent contact with Chinese intelligence agents and was trying to exert undue influence on Thaci, whom Yang considered a potential prime minister.
Yang Yisheng insisted that he was innocent and pleaded not guilty to the charges in court. The court will make a sentencing decision on Yang Yisheng at a later date.
Yang Yisheng was once a political candidate and member of the Liberal Party. His own lawyer called him a “big notor” who liked to brag about his popularity. However, there was no doubt that Yang Yisheng was recruited by Chinese officials or listened to them. The allegation of the order is refuted.
The ABC reported that prosecutor Patrick Doyle SC told the jury that Yeung’s behavior could not be compared to the espionage behavior they had seen in spy novels or 007 movies. But that was a “subtle form of intervention,” he said. “It’s about impact,” he said.
Most of the court proceedings against Yang Yisheng were conducted behind closed doors, and the public and the media were unable to see witnesses whose identities were protected testify.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation said that before his arrest, Yang Yisheng was a well-known businessman in the Australian Chinese community and the chairman of a group called the Oceania Vietnam-Cambodia Old Chinese Association. Yang Yisheng was also involved in another organization that federal prosecutors said was registered with an agency of the Chinese Communist Party.
The report said the secret recording captured Yang Yisheng telling a colleague: “What I do will not be reported by the media, but Beijing knows what I am doing.”
In 2018, in the face of interference in Australia, especially by China’s influence, Australia passed the Anti-Foreign Interference Law, requiring political lobbyists to report to the authorities whether they serve other countries, and significantly increasing the penalties for espionage activities. The outside world generally believes that this law is aimed at Chinese infiltration.
According to Australia’s Anti-Foreign Interference Law enacted in 2018, foreign interference activities carried out secretly on behalf of foreign governments harm Australia’s national interests. “Foreign interference remains an important national security priority for the Australian Federal Police,” a police statement said.
It is expected that the trial of Yang Yisheng for violating the Anti-Foreign Interference Law will continue next week.
2023-12-19 14:45:52
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